There’s something magical about making meatloaf in a muffin tin. Maybe it’s the cute-factor of having your own personal little muffin of meaty-goodness? Or maybe it’s the fact that each little meatloaf bakes-up so moist and flavorful!
Whatever it is that makes my family go crazy for these veggie-laden meatloaf muffins, I’m all about serving healthy foods that bring a smile to their sweet faces – and the sweet faces in your home too!
Chock-full of healthy veggies, these mini-meatloaves are super simple to make and not only make a delicious dinner, but also a great lunch too! Their compact size helps them pack-up nicely in your favorite bento-style lunch boxes – and no need to reheat, since they taste great cold too!
So, rather than shopping on this glorious Cyber Monday, I’m in the kitchen making Cyber Monday Meatloaf Muffins – may sound silly, but it’s true!
Like Cyber Monday, these mini-meatloaves will save you time (you can make them on a weekend and reheat for a quick weeknight dinner, or freeze them for an easy future meal), and they’ll save you money (ground meat is one of the most economical cuts and you can use any veggies you have on hand).
So why not join me in a little meatloaf making fun?
P.S. You can make these savory little meatloaf muffins even more fun, if you tell your kiddos that they’re actually “Meatloaf Cupcakes!” Cause seriously, who doesn’t love cupcakes? And while we’re at it, why not call the mashed potatoes – “frosting” and the sweet peas – “sprinkles.”
I’m all for bringing a little creativity to the table to help kids learn that healthy eating is delicious and fun!
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs. of ground turkey or chicken (dark meat is best)
- 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
- 1/4 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
- 1/4 cup finely chopped carrot
- 1/4 cup finely chopped organic zucchini
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 tsp Italian herb seasoning
- 1/4 tsp dried parsley
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/8 tsp onion powder
- 1/8 tsp fresh-ground pepper
- 1 large pastured egg
- 2 tbsp ketchup (for Whole30, use 1 tbsp tomato paste)
- 3 Tbsp blanched almond flour (or use GF breadcrumbs)
- Optional: Ketchup Topping (omit for Whole30)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly oil a 6-cup jumbo muffin tin; set aside.
- Heat a skillet to medium-high heat and add about one tablespoon of olive oil. Sauté finely chopped onion, peppers, carrot, zucchini and garlic until soft (about 3-4 minutes).
- Place ground turkey (or chicken) in large mixing bowl and add the veggies to the turkey and allow to cool a minute. Then add all of the remaining ingredients, except for the optional topping.
- Using your hands, combine the ingredients together until well incorporated.
- Evenly divide the meatloaf among the 6-cups in the prepared jumbo muffin tin.
- Bake approximately 20 minutes. Remove from oven and top with the ketchup-maple topping (see note below), if desired.
- Return mini-meatloaves to the oven and continue baking for another 15 minutes, until cooked through. Enjoy!
Notes
Time-Saving Tip: Make a double or triple batch and freeze them for quick and easy dinners. Just thaw in fridge overnight and reheat in oven.
Ketchup-Maple Meatloaf Topping: In a small dish, whisk together 1/2 cup ketchup with two tablespoons of pure maple syrup. Spoon on top of meatloaf as directed in recipe above. (Omit for Whole30.)
Using a 12-cup Muffin Tin: I personally prefer to use a 6-cup jumbo muffin tin to make these mini-meatloaves, because the serving size works great for most kids and adults. But if you'd like to use a 12-cup muffin tin instead, follow the same instructions above, except:
• Fill just 10-cups in the 12-cup muffin time with meatloaf
• Bake for 15 minutes, then add the ketchup-maple topping, if desired. Return to oven and continuing to bake another 10-12 minutes until meatloaves are cooked through.
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Could we sub in whole wheat flour here? Nut allergies. Thanks!
Hi, Steph, use breadcrumbs of your choice instead. The wheat flour will make them too dense. 🙂
Just made these, and they were delicious!!! my picky 5yr old went back for seconds and there are no leftovers. That speaks volumes over here 🙂 I added sprouted brown rice crispies b/c i was out of cashew flour and then added cheese because of egg allergies. The recipe filled my 12 muffin tins to overflow. Thank you for this recipe. I feel like I have hit the bottom for ideas lately for dinner. you are a blessing!!!
Wonderful! Thank you so much for sharing, Wendy. I’m so happy that your little guy loved these! Appreciate you taking the time to leave a kind note! 🙂
Can I use ground beef I don’t have ground turkey on hand.
Thanks
Have a Merry Christmas Kelly 🙂
Yes, you can, but it tends to create a lot of “juice” so just don’t fill the tins too high and let them sit a few minutes after baking to help reabsorb some of the moisture. 🙂
Wonderful recipe! Followed all ingredients except forgot carrots ;( Had canned baby carrots on hand so chopped those instead but added to mixture at the end not to mush. Turned out just fine! Such a great find! Added to my favorites…this will be a weekly recipe prep on Sundays!
Great improvising! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a kind note! 🙂
Hi I am curious about freezing these. Do I bake them the full 20 min , cool and freeze , then thaw and bake again ? I am just worried about over baking .
Oops!
Oops, sorry for the typos. Here’s what I meant to say … Hi, Tiffany. I would take about 5 minutes off the second bake time (after you’ve added the ketchup topping), if using. In other words bake them about 25 minutes total, so that they are more cooked through before you freeze them. It will be safer that way. Then you can rewarm then in the oven at a low temp, or in microwave, if you use one. 🙂
Made these last night–they were so delicious! I followed your recipe exactly (using your instructions for the 12-cup muffin tin, since that was all I had on hand). The muffins were incredibly moist and flavorful. Lots of oohh’s and aahh’s at the table!
Yay! i’m so happy that you all enjoyed these little meatloaf muffins! 🙂 Thanks so much, Kristal, for taking the time to leave a kind note! Blessings, Kelly 🙂